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Friday, February 11, 2011

R.I.P. Gary Moore

Gary Moore, two-time guitarist for Thin Lizzy (one of my favorite bands) has died at the age of 58 of an apparent heart attack. Moore was in the band in 1974, then left without playing on any albums, then returned from 1978 to 1979 and played on my favorite Thin Lizzy album, 1979's Black Rose: A Rock Legend. Moore co-wrote two of my favorite songs on the album (and two of my favorite Thin Lizzy songs period): "Toughest Street in Town" (in which Moore has a wicked solo at about the 1:30 mark) and "Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" (a song that, to paraphrase one of the commentators on YouTube, makes you feel more Irish after you listen to it). Here are YouTube "videos" of the songs:

In addition, Moore had a long solo career, which, in the last 20 years, was primarily blues-based. Throughout his career, he collaborated with the likes of George Harrison, Albert King, Albert Collins, the Traveling Wilburys, the Beach Boys, Ozzy Osbourne, and Andrew Lloyd Weber.

A revamped Thin Lizzy will be touring Europe this spring (obviously with a new lead singer and bassist, since Phil Lynott has been dead for 25 years), and I don't think Moore was going to be a part of that. I know Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell is one of the guitarists, joining longtime Thin Lizzy members guitarist Scott Gorham, drummer Brian Downey, and keyboardist Darren Wharton. Hopefully, the tour will make it across the pond because I'd love to see them live, even if some of the original members are no longer with us.